A. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to a system and method for incorporating media type sensing with software applications, and more specifically to a method for sensing a media type and imaging an item on a compatible media type.
B. Description of the Related Art
Presently, imaging devices such as photocopiers, fax machines, and printers image items on media with a variety of sizes and shapes. For example, when printing a document in a software application such as Microsoft Word(copyright), a user can select to print on an 8xc2xdxe2x80x3 by 11xe2x80x3 paper or an A4 size paper. The printer first receives an imaging request for a first portion, in this example the first page of a document to be printed. If the printer has multiple trays of paper with different size paper in each tray, the printer then determines which supply contains the specified paper size and prints the page on the corresponding compatible paper size.
Common imaging devices, however, cannot determine which type of media is present in a supply. For example, printing a report with several different media types (glossy photos, transparencies, and handouts) cannot be printed on a common printer without manually feeding in each page of supply media, as the printer cannot determine which media types are present in its supply. Some printers, such as the Hp Laserjet 5 printer, can determine only one media type present in its supply. The Hp Laserjet 5 printer, using an optical sensor, can determine whether or not a transparency is present in its supply but cannot sense for multiple media types. While single media type sensing may be useful in applications where only one or two media types will likely be used, single media type sensing is not useful in applications where multiple media types may be used.
Similarly, present imaging devices such as photocopiers and fax machines cannot determine the media type to be imaged. For example, photocopying a transparency on a photocopier requires a user to select xe2x80x9ctransparency imagingxe2x80x9d on the photocopier and manually feed in a transparency, to correctly adjust imaging parameters and compatible media type.
Briefly, in a first aspect of the present invention, a method of imaging an item is provided comprising the steps of determining a media type of a first portion of an item to be imaged, determining a media type of a supply of media for an imaging device, determining if the first portion media type is compatible with the first supply media type based on a criterion, and imaging the first portion on one or more sheets of the first supply media type using the imaging device if the first portion media type is compatible with the first supply media type. At least one of the determining steps is performed by sensing for multiple media types.
In a preferred first aspect, the method further comprises the step of notifying a user if the first supply media type is not compatible with the first portion media type.
In a further preferred first aspect, the method further comprises the steps of determining a second supply media type of a supply of media for an imaging device, and imaging the first portion on the second supply media type using the imaging device if the first portion media type is compatible with the second supply media type.
In a further preferred first aspect, the imaging device images the first portion on the first supply media type if the first portion media type is compatible with both the first supply media type and the second supply media type.
In a further preferred first aspect, the method further comprises the steps of determining a second portion media type of a second portion of an item to be imaged, determining if the second portion media type is compatible with the first supply media type based on a criterion, and imaging the second portion on the first supply media type if the first supply media type is compatible with the second portion media type.
In a further preferred first aspect, the step of determining a first portion media type is performed by at least one sensor, sensing a first media type for the first portion of an item to be imaged. The sensor comprises at least one of an optical sensor, a weight sensor, a reflectivity sensor, and a charge resistivity sensor.
In a further preferred first aspect, the criterion comprises at least one list containing a plurality of mediums identified as compatible media types.
In a second aspect of the present invention, a method of imaging an item with a first media type of a first portion different from a second media type of a second portion is provided comprising the steps of storing a first supply media type in a pre-determined tray of first supply media type, determining a first media type of a first portion of an item to be imaged, determining if the first media type is compatible with the first supply media type based on a criterion, imaging the first portion on the first supply media type using the imaging device if the first media type is compatible with the first supply media type, determining a second media type of a second portion of an item to be imaged, determining if the second media type is compatible with the first supply media type based on a criterion, and imaging the second portion on the first supply media type using the imaging device if the second media type is compatible with the first supply media type. The steps of determining a first media type and determining a second media type are performed by sensing the media type.
In a preferred second aspect, the imaging device is a photocopier.
In a third aspect of the present invention, a method of imaging an item is provided comprising the steps of receiving a first portion media type of a first portion of an item to be imaged, determining a first supply media type of a supply of media within an imaging device, determining if the first portion media type is compatible with the first supply media type based on a criterion, imaging the portion on the first supply media type using the imaging device if the first supply media type is compatible with the first portion media type. The step of determining a first supply media type is performed by sensing for multiple media types.
In a preferred third aspect, the imaging device is a printer.
In a fourth aspect of the present invention, a program product for imaging an item is provided comprising computer readable program code for carrying out the method steps determining a first media type of a first portion of an item to be imaged, determining a first supply media type of a supply of media for an imaging device, determining if the first media type is compatible with the first supply media type based on a criterion, and imaging the first portion on one or more sheets of the first supply media type using the imaging device if the first media type is compatible with the first supply media type. At least one of the determining steps is performed by sensing for multiple media types.
In a fifth aspect of the present invention, a system for imaging an item is provided comprising a first component to determine a first media type of a first portion of an item to be imaged, a second component to determine a first supply media type of a supply of media for an imaging device, a third component to determine if the first media type is compatible with the first supply media type based on a criterion, and an imaging component for imaging the first portion on one or more sheets of the first supply media type using the imaging device if the first media type is compatible with the first supply media type. At least one of the first and second components comprise a sensor for sensing for multiple media types.
In a sixth aspect of the present invention, a method of imaging an item is provided comprising the steps of sensing a media type of a first portion of an item to be imaged with at least one sensor, determining a media type of a supply of media for an imaging device, determining if the first portion media type is compatible with the first supply media type based on a criterion, and imaging the first portion on one or more sheets of the first supply media type using the imaging device if the first portion media type is compatible with the first supply media type. In a preferred sixth aspect, the imaging device is a photocopier.